Ethiopian Airlines Group has signed a strategic agreement with Nucore Technologies to upgrade the digital backbone of its agency sales operations, as Africa’s largest carrier accelerates efforts to modernise distribution and back-office systems.

The partnership brings Nucore’s software solutions into Ethiopian Airlines’ Agency Portal, strengthening automation, integration, reporting and analytics for travel agencies, online travel agencies, aggregators and corporate customers. The move places business-to-business distribution at the centre of the airline’s wider digital transformation agenda.

The collaboration enables partners to access Ethiopian Airlines’ direct content through NDC-enabled distribution, alongside ancillary services and hotel packages. The airline said the integration is intended to improve data transparency, align with global retailing standards and provide a scalable platform to support future growth.

“Ethiopian Airlines is steadfast in its commitment to driving digital transformation across its services,” said Bilen Arefaine, vice president for ET Holiday and Digital and GCIC Sales. He said the agreement would allow partners to access NDC-based offers and related services through a single interface, supported by multiple payment options via the Agency Portal.

The Agency Portal serves as a core sales platform for Ethiopian Airlines, supporting more than 2,000 active customers across over 100 stations worldwide. The system is backed by round-the-clock commercial and technical support provided by the airline.

The deal adds advanced reporting and analytics to the Agency Portal, increasing data visibility for partners as Ethiopian Airlines updates its agency distribution model.